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Following a second quarter 2018 pre-tariff run-up in the volume of steel used to manufacture cold-formed steel (CFS) framing products, the latest report by the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) finds that CFS manufacturing declined by 9 percent in the third quarter of 2018 to 273,682 total tons (raw tons before processing). Most companies surveyed in SFIA's US Nonresidential Volume Report indicated a belief that much of the inventory built up in the second quarter had largely worked through the system, and that manufacturing volume was beginning to tick up at the end of the third quarter. The complete publication containing data and analysis, including results of a survey of market sentiment, is available at this Link.

The SFIA Contractor Certification, introduced in March is off to a strong start with the first two companies awarded certification for both Nonstructural and Structural framing and 20 additional companies currently in the certification process. This new certification, which promotes best practices and continuous improvement, will be promoted to general contractors and owners looking for contractors with CFS expertise, high levels of training, and quality assurance.

A Fire Service Professional’s ViewThe increased use of wood framing in mid-rise buildings has been accompanied by a growing incidence of major fires that have destroyed these combustible structures both during construction